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Claire Swift bounced in her parents' living room, holding up the white fairy tale dress she'll wear for an upcoming pageant.
The 8-year-old Kennewick girl proudly pointed to the ribbons and rosettes on her princess dress, demanding that everyone around her look.
The prospect of wearing her dress on stage already is one of the highlights of her tenure as Cheyenne Van Tine's Pine Cone Princess, a role that allows Claire to accompany the Miss Tri-Cities Outstanding Teen to Burien for the Miss Washington Outstanding Teen pageant Wednesday.
The highlight for Claire's mother, Jessica Johnson, is knowing people will see that a girl with Down syndrome can be a princess just like anyone else.
"I think it's amazing for someone to reach out to someone different than the typical princess," Johnson said. "Typically princesses have great eloquence and poise, are pretty. Claire is very pretty, but she doesn't have the manners yet. This will be a challenge for her."
Social skills are the biggest challenge for Claire, who performs well academically and is smart and headstrong, Johnson said. But she loves people -- especially her friend Cheyenne.
Cheyenne, 15, said when she was charged with selecting a girl to accompany her to the pageant, she immediately thought of Claire.
Pine Cone Princesses are girls ages 7 to 11 who are mentored by pageant participants as part of the program.
Cheyenne and Claire have been fast friends since Van Tine volunteered for the Cathedral of Joy's vacation Bible school last summer, and Van Tine's pastor asked if she could give Claire one-on-one attention.
"I fell in love with what a sweet little girl she was," Cheyenne said.
Her mother, Evan Van Tine, said Cheyenne has shown a natural gift for working with children with disabilities since she was in kindergarten and without being prompted, took under her wing some children in her class who had developmental disabilities.
"I kind of mothered them," Cheyenne said. "I didn't see their disabilities. I just saw who they were."
That gift has led Cheyenne to embrace children with disabilities ever since -- incorporating a message of acceptance and love for those who are different into her Miss Tri-Cities Outstanding Teen platform and talent performance.
Claire's affection for Cheyenne was evident as the two hugged and played on a recent evening in Johnson's home in Kennewick. Claire tugged at the older girl's arm to show the her the crown ring Claire had received from her pastor -- just like the one Cheyenne wore.
And she hugged the journal Cheyenne gave her as a gift to her chest and showed off the personal blessing her friend had written inside. "She has been carrying it around since Cheyenne gave it to her," Johnson said. "It's such a special thing to her, like gold or a million dollars."
As Cheyenne's Pine Cone Princess, Claire will escort Cheyenne on stage in her evening gown during the pageant, and the two will show the audience the secret handshake they invented.
Claire also will perform a dance on stage with the other princesses.
Claire said she liked learning the dance and is excited about wearing her dress and helping her friend at the pageant. She's also looking forward to staying in a hotel.
Cheyenne will be the only contestant escorted on stage by someone with a disability -- a fact she states proudly.
"Cheyenne expects (Claire) to shine in her own way," Johnson said. "She knows when she gets on stage, she will shine. She has no fright. She's more like a diva than a princess."
The Miss Washington's Outstanding Teen pageant is Wednesday through Saturday at the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien.
The winner goes on to the national pageant in August in Orlando, Fla.
